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Last week I screwed up my recording schedule and "NCIS" didn't record. I thought "well that was stupid, but we'll just stream it from CBS.COM."

It's been awhile since we streamed a broadcast network show. I think the last one was something on Fox and there were just a few ads.

I don't know whether CBS has figured out how to do it, or whether it was because "NCIS" is the most popular scripted show on TV, or a combination, but we streamed and watched a full complement of ads from major advertisers along with the show. We watched an hour and there were no CBS promos. Quite a shock, but maybe CBS represents the future of broadcast network TV after all.

"In a hundred years there'll be a whole new set of people."
"Always poke the bears. They sleep too much for their own good."

Last week I screwed up my recording schedule and "NCIS" didn't record. I thought "well that was stupid, but we'll just stream it from CBS.COM."

It's been awhile since we streamed a broadcast network show. I think the last one was something on Fox and there were just a few ads.

I don't know whether CBS has figured out how to do it, or whether it was because "NCIS" is the most popular scripted show on TV, or a combination, but we streamed and watched a full complement of ads from major advertisers along with the show. We watched an hour and there were no CBS promos. Quite a shock, but maybe CBS represents the future of broadcast network TV after all.

TNT was doing the same thing last year. I replaced my DVR the previous winter so my SL for Falling Skies was gone. I missed the season premier so I streamed it and was shocked to have a full commercial load. I used TNT's iPad app and I could pause, rewind the show but all controls disappeared when the commercials came on

In an article from Ad Age, we learn: This discussion raises the fact that NBC and CBS represent two economic models involving broadcast network TV.

In my opinion NBC is an experiment for Comcast/NBCU. As noted in the article referenced in Comcast to buy GE's 49% stake in NBCUniversal Comcast wants NBCU "particularly, for its lucrative cable TV channels." I'm also pretty sure there is no love lost between Comcast and the local broadcast channels which represent unnecessary costs to the cable side of the company. Even the ones owned-and-operated by NBCU are, in the end, have no future as significant profit generators, at least from broadcast network programming.

The Ad-Age article notes: "Ad buyers are anticipating the return of sci-fi drama 'Revolution,' the only breakout freshman hit among broadcast networks in the first half of the TV season." I'm not sure what "breakout" means.

All I know is that the last news about the show was 'Revolution' Season One Order Reduced by 2 Episodes. The idiots at NBC have given the show a long hiatus in order to take a ratings hit with "Deception." They hope, I guess, that the March 25 return will bring back the viewers. The last time the show ran against its competition the ratings looked like this:

No one in their right mind would think a show that pulled about half the 50+ viewers compared to another show in its time slot is a winner.

CBS, of course, simply tries to get the most viewers while getting a reasonable demo because it doesn't own a stable of cable channels. In the end, it tries to make the broadcast network TV model work without any artsy shows like "Smash." Oh, and "Elementary" is the consistent winner of the "new show grow your audience" race at least partly because of its Live + 7 day ratings - folks are recording it.

But the future of broadcast network TV is either going to be the Sunday Night Football profit grab model NBC uses or the six-days-a-week model of CBS.

I think in the long run, CBS will be sorry they split from Viacom, and Comcast will turn NBC into a cash cow. Comcast Universal is still getting its legs, and as they continue to merge all their 'platforms' they'll wring more money and ratings out of them.

I also wouldn't bet against someone, especially Time Warner, buying CBS. Think about it: Fox and NBC both have a ton of cable networks, including news and sports along with a broadcast network and the cachet that comes with it. Time Warner, particularly in Turner, has a ton of cable channels, including news but no sports network and no broadcast network, though they do have a smaller sports operation. Plus, they already partner with CBS on things like the NCAA Basketball tournament.

Disney: ABC, ESPN, ABC owned cable networks, etc. They are missing a news network, but they are starting an English language network in a joint venture with Univision targeted to hispanics, and they have "ABC Now" which if they put a little effort into could become a real news network

Time Warner: Turner (CNN, HLN, TBS, TNT, Tru, Cartoon Network), HBO, Turner Sports, and 50% of The CW. Add in CBS and you get: the rest of The CW, CBS, CBS Sports, Showtime. A merger of Time Warner and CBS makes a ton of sense (and if it happened would illustrate why splitting Viacom off was a stupid idea)

It would make even better sense if Time Warner or better yet News Corp bought up Viacom, because they have a ton more cable networks and those two are kind of light. At that point, you'd have multiple entities that could compete against ESPN overall, and NBC for things like the Olympics

I think in the long run, CBS will be sorry they split from Viacom, and Comcast will turn NBC into a cash cow. Comcast Universal is still getting its legs, and as they continue to merge all their 'platforms' they'll wring more money and ratings out of them.

I also wouldn't bet against someone, especially Time Warner, buying CBS. Think about it: Fox and NBC both have a ton of cable networks, including news and sports along with a broadcast network and the cachet that comes with it. Time Warner, particularly in Turner, has a ton of cable channels, including news but no sports network and no broadcast network, though they do have a smaller sports operation. Plus, they already partner with CBS on things like the NCAA Basketball tournament.

Disney: ABC, ESPN, ABC owned cable networks, etc. They are missing a news network, but they are starting an English language network in a joint venture with Univision targeted to hispanics, and they have "ABC Now" which if they put a little effort into could become a real news network

Time Warner: Turner (CNN, HLN, TBS, TNT, Tru, Cartoon Network), HBO, Turner Sports, and 50% of The CW. Add in CBS and you get: the rest of The CW, CBS, CBS Sports, Showtime. A merger of Time Warner and CBS makes a ton of sense (and if it happened would illustrate why splitting Viacom off was a stupid idea)

It would make even better sense if Time Warner or better yet News Corp bought up Viacom, because they have a ton more cable networks and those two are kind of light. At that point, you'd have multiple entities that could compete against ESPN overall, and NBC for things like the Olympics

While a Time Warner purchase of CBS is interesting, it would have to appeal to the Redstone family. From Wikipedia:

National Amusements, Inc. is an American privately owned theater company based in Dedham, Massachusetts, United States. The company was founded in 1936 as the Northeast Theatre Corporation by Michael Redstone.

National Amusements is now owned by Michael Redstone's son, Sumner Redstone, who holds 80% of the company, and Sumner's daughter, Shari Redstone, who owns the remaining 20%. Through National Amusements, the Redstones control both the CBS Corporation (owner of CBS) and Viacom (owner of Paramount Pictures) through supervoting shares.

Sumner Redstone is tied for #267 in Forbes 2013 Billionaires List with a modest $4.7 billion in assets.

"In a hundred years there'll be a whole new set of people."
"Always poke the bears. They sleep too much for their own good."

I forgot that Redstone still controls both. I can't figure out why he split them up. He holds 80% of both.

It does seem like it's probably a long shot, more likely he'd try to buy Time Warner than sell to TW. Maybe a joint venture in a news network and sports network. No reason Turner Sports and CBS Sports shouldn't be one organization and no reason CBS shouldn't have a cable outlet in CNN.

As soon as next week, Lionsgate is expected to close a deal to sell about half of TVGN, formerly known as the TV Guide Network, to CBS. It marks a change in strategy for the mini-major, which set out more than a year ago to sell all of the cable network.

...The deal also apparently includes TVGuide.com, which has shown growth by adding strong content and will fit with other CBS digital properties. The TV Guide magazine is owned separately by Open Gate Capital and will not be part of the deal with CBS.

...For CBS, it is seen as a reasonable way to acquire a cable channel, broadening a portfolio that already includes the top-rated TV broadcast network, a pay TV service, a growing digital presence, a sports channel and half of The CW network. Some of the money for the acquisition is expected to come from the recent sale by CBS of its outdoor billboard business.

"In a hundred years there'll be a whole new set of people."
"Always poke the bears. They sleep too much for their own good."

I couldn't believe 30 Rock got away with pointing out that Comcast/Kabletown made the majority of its profits off porn, including massive income from hotel PPV porn channels. One of those dirty little secrets corps hate to allow leak out.